CenterPoint Energy files to swap parts of coal fleet for two natural gas combustion turbines in Indiana
Advancing the next phase of its Smart Energy Future Plan, CenterPoint Energy last week filed an application with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to replace portions of its coal-fired generation fleet with two natural gas combustion turbines.
The turbines would be combined in a new facility at the current A.B. Brown power plant in Posey County, Indiana. While the pre-existing facility is a relic of the coal industry and is slated to retire in late 2023, the new facility would begin construction in 2022, with a targeted operation date of sometime in 2024 — at which point it should bring 460 MW of combined output with it. In all, the facility should cost approximately $323 million and will be used to complement the company’s increased renewable offerings.
“The construction of the natural gas generation turbines is the next step in CenterPoint Energy’s long-term plan to deliver on the commitment to introduce significant renewables and natural gas into our portfolio as outlined in our 2020 Integrated Resource Plan,” Steve Greenley, CenterPoint’s senior vice president of Generation Development, said. “The retirement of our smaller, inefficient coal units and adding the natural gas combustion turbines will continue to reduce our emissions and maintain our focus on the environment while providing our customers a cost-effective option for delivering safe and reliable energy.”
The company filed its latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) in June 2020, which rolled out a future portfolio in which nearly two-thirds of CenterPoint’s energy would be generated from renewable resources, and carbon emissions would be lowered by almost 75 percent when compared to 2005 levels. This facility is an extension of that plan, which covers a 20-year period.
Notably, this new filing is not expected to impact residential electric bills. In the future, however, a cost-recovery process will be initiated for the proposed natural gas generation turbines.
